Ctg mayor orders tougher measures to boost city corporation revenue

Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain has called for urgent and stricter action to accelerate revenue collection, warning that the city’s development ambitions cannot be achieved without significantly improving income from taxes and fees.

The directive came during a meeting with officials from the Revenue Department at the CCC headquarters in Tiger Pass on Wednesday afternoon. 

The mayor instructed officials to adopt a more proactive and field driven approach, stressing accountability and efficiency in collecting dues.

Despite being the country’s second largest city and its commercial hub, Chattogram is still falling short of its revenue potential, particularly in sectors such as holding tax and trade licenses, he said. He emphasized that stronger performance from responsible departments is essential to bridge the gap between actual and potential collections.

Dr Shahadat also highlighted substantial unpaid dues owed by various government agencies to the City Corporation. Without recovering these arrears, he noted, CCC will not be able to strengthen its financial capacity to the required level. 

He directed officials to immediately send demi official letters to the Ministry of Finance and other relevant ministries to press for payment of outstanding amounts.

In addition, the mayor ordered a rapid reassessment of holding taxes for major commercial entities, including five star hotels, shopping complexes, garment factories and container depots, to ensure that assessments reflect current valuations.

Making his position clear, he said there would be no leniency toward deliberate tax defaulters. A list of habitual non payers is to be prepared, and strict action will follow, he warned. He also instructed that coordination meetings be held at the start of each month to review progress and report updates directly to him.

The mayor described taxpayers’ contributions as the backbone of urban development, saying transparent governance and efficient revenue management are key to transforming Chattogram into a modern and livable city.

CCC Acting Chief Executive Officer and Secretary Md Ashraful Amin pointed to structural challenges affecting revenue collection. He said insufficient budget allocations for house tax often prevent government institutions from paying their full dues, while staff shortages further complicate enforcement efforts.

Senior officials present at the meeting included Chief Revenue Officer Sarwar Kamal, Revenue Officer Md Sabbir Rahman Sunny, Chief Accounting Officer Humayun Kabir Chowdhury and other members of the Revenue Department.